SOCHI, Russia – Feb. 5, 2014 – In partnership with the United States Olympic Committee and the winter sport national governing bodies in the United States, NBC Olympics has created a ground-breaking initiative, the Olympic Gold Map, to promote grassroots youth involvement in Olympic and Paralympic sport. The initiative will be integrated into NBC Olympics’ multi-platform coverage of the Sochi Olympic Winter Games, which begin tomorrow on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.

During its broadcast and cable coverage from Sochi, NBC Olympics will integrate a series of short promotional features driving viewers to a special section of NBCOlympics.com, NBCOlympics.com/gold-map, which will host an overview video and provide links to the various U.S. winter sport national governing bodies.

“For years, we have been receiving letters after each Olympics from parents describing the moment when their children, watching our coverage, fell in love with one sport or another,” said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. “We want to capitalize on that moment of maximum inspiration and help kids take the first steps towards turning their own Olympic dreams into reality.”

Users will be encouraged to select the sport or sports that have piqued their interest, and the NGB websites, in turn, will provide further information about how children can get involved in their sports, such as contact information on the nearest opportunities for coaching and training.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to join in partnership with NBC and our national governing bodies on the Gold Map initiative to encourage American children to get involved in sport at a young age,” said Scott Blackmun, Chief Executive Officer, United States Olympic Committee. “When NBC first surfaced the Gold Map idea during its bid for the rights to the Sochi Games, we were impressed by their visionary thinking, and we are very excited to see the planning put into action.”

THE OLYMPICS BEGIN TOMORROW

With more Winter Olympic events than ever before, competition for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games from Sochi, Russia, will begin one day prior to the Opening Ceremony. As a result, NBC will begin its primetime coverage of the 2014 Sochi Olympics tomorrow night, Feburary 6 – one night before the broadcast network provides its traditional coverage of the Opening Ceremony on Friday February 7. This marks the first time NBC will air Olympic primetime coverage before the Opening Ceremony, and will feature the Olympic debuts of snowboard slopestyle (men’s and women’s) and team figure skating, as well as women’s freestyle moguls.

ABOUT NBC OLYMPICS

A division of the NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. For more information on NBC Olympics’ coverage of the Sochi Olympics, please visit: http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/